Family-bible cabinet



1 t e e h S m e e h S 2 m E m B A nu m L B M Y u M A F a d O M 0 W No. 428,345. Patented May 20,1890.

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No. 428,345. Patented May 20, 1890.

INVENTOH J07? Jzwize, By M i Z ATTORNEYS UNITE STATES 5 ATENT Prion.

JOHN MELVILLE, OF CONNELLSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

FAMILY-BIBLE CABINET.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,345, dated May 20, 1890.

Application filed October 4, 1889.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN MELvILLE, of Con nellsville, in the county of Fayette and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Family-Bible Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is a Family-Bible cabinet, intended especially to receive family Bibles, containing the family records, so that such Bible may be well preserved for generations, and by which the book may be readily adjusted to position to enable its convenient opening and inspection.

The invention. consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an end View of my improvement. Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the cabinet on line 3 3 of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 l of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view.

The cabinet comprises a suitable frame having base-pieces A, corner-standards A, the top, end, and side bars A A and the lid formed, preferably, of side sections B B, hinged to the side bars A of the top, so they may be turned back to a suitable angle to permit the book to be properly opened, or shut to inclose the book. The lid-section and the sides and ends of the frames are glazed. The glass panes C may be ornamented by etching, painting, or in other suitable manner, and the f rame-work, being made of polished brass or nickel-plated or plated with silver or gold, forms a handsome ornament for a center or side table, in addition to its usefulness in preserving the Bible, thus enabling the Bible to be well protected, yet be always in view, and at the same time protecting the book in such manner that the protecting means themselves will be ornamental and attractive in appearance. lVithin the cabinet I support the vertically-movable book-holder D, which is preferably a frame having cross-bars d, which, when the holder D is lowered, fit in cross-grooves 6, formed in the upper side of the bottom E, so that when the movable book-holder is lowered to its lowermost position its upper side will rest flush with that of the bottom, the bottom and book- Serial No. 326,049. (No model.)

holder forming a fiat rest for the book when lowered in the cabinet,

By preference the bottom E is made of wood and is conveniently removable, so that it may be easily replaced when desired. In this connection it will be understood that the holder might be provided with end uprights, which might be grasped by the hand to lift the holder; or other means may be provided to raise such holder, as will be readily understood, the broad principle of this feature of my invention lying in the provision of the book-holder movable vertically within the cabinet-frame.

It is preferred to connect the holder D with the lid or cover, so that the opening of the latter will eifect the elevation of the holder and its closing will lower'the holder and the Bible thereon, as will be understood from the drawings. The lid is also preferably made in two sections, both of which are connected with the holder. In effecting this connection it is preferred to use the links F f, pivoted together at one'end and connected at their other ends, the former with the lid-sections near the swinging edges thereof and'the latter with the holder, so that as the lid-sections are opened the holder will be raised. The connections f are preferably connected with the holder by forming their lower ends with hooks f',which engage eyes f f on the holder, the eyes f being arranged nearer the side edge of the holder and the hook being arranged to engage one or the other of said eyes. In practice the hooks are engaged with the inner eyes in lifting and lowering the bookholder; but when the holder is raised and latched in the manner presently described the hooks are removed from eyes f and engaged with eyes f so the lid-sections may be thrown further back to enable the Bible to be opened wide.

To secure the holder in elevated position,

- it is preferred to use latches, which in the construction shown are short bars G, pivoted between their ends at g on the side bars-of the holder, so they may be turned at one end laterally from the holder over the top side bars, and provide in said top bars notches or slots 11 to receive the outer ends of such bars, which by preference are made with hook-like points 9', depending at the end of the hook G. Manifestly the latches might be manipulated directly by hand; but it is preferred to enable their manipulation from the swinging edges of the lid-sections. To this end the latches are engaged by springs G, which tend to normally hold them from projecting later ally from the holder and operated to draw them in over such holder when the latches are not otherwise held. To the rear ends of the latches are secured the ends of a chain, cord, or other suitable connection Lwhich extends through suitable guides to the under side of the free or swinging edges of the lid, midway between the ends of which is a portion arranged to be grasped and drawn upon by the hand of the user Without moving such hand from the position it most conveniently takes in opening the lids to raise the holder. Now, in operation as the lid-sections are opened the holder will be raised, and such opening of the lid-section is continued until the holder is raised slightly above the top side bars when the connection I is drawn to throw the latches out until the portions g are over the sockets or slots H, when the holder is slightly lowered to enable parts 9 to enter sockets H, when the holder will be held properly elevated and the Bible may be conveniently opened and examined. To release the latches, it is only necessary to raise the hold er until the portions g of the latches escape from the sockets II, when the springs G will draw the latches in and the holder may be lowered into the cabinet.

By the use of my cabinet the Bible is protected from exposure to the dust and atmospheric changes, and may consequentlybe well preserved, and yet is so incased that it can be conveniently examined when so desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. In a book-holding cabinet, the combination, with the case and the book-holder movable vertically therein, of the latches pivoted to the holder, whereby they may be turned laterally to engage the case when the holder is elevated, the springs for actuating said latches, and cords or connections secured to said latches, the lid or cover, and lifting devices for the book-holder, substantially as set forth.

2. A book-holding cabinet having its bottom provided with cross-grooves, and having a vertically-movable book-holdingfraineprovided with cross-bars to fit said grooves, whereby a light frame is provided for lifting the book, and a flat base is provided for holding such book when it is not in use, substantially as set forth.

3. A book-holding cabinet provided with lid-sections, a vertically-movable book-holder, connections between said lid-sections and book-holder, latches by which the holdermay be secured in elevated position, and connections secured to said latches and extended adjacent the free or swinging edges of the lid-sections, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a book-holding cabinet, the cabinetframe and its lid-sections, combined with the vertically-movable book-holder having eyes f f the latter being arranged nearest the side edge of the holder, and the links F f, pivoted together, the links F being pivoted to the lidsections, and the linksf being provided with hooks f to engage eyes f f all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

JOHN MELVILLE.

\Vitnesses:

SAMUEL PORTER, JOHN KURTZ. 

